


I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Clause

by VigilantePond



Category: Doctor Sleep (2019), Doctor Sleep - Stephen King
Genre: Christmas Angst, F/F, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-01
Updated: 2019-12-01
Packaged: 2021-02-26 03:21:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,508
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21636547
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/VigilantePond/pseuds/VigilantePond
Summary: Rose the Hat dresses up as Santa to lure a child, and then runs into an old flame.
Relationships: Crow Daddy/Rose the Hat, Rose the Hat/Original Female Character(s)
Kudos: 23





	I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Clause

“Well look at you, sexy Santa,” Crow Daddy teased. 

“Oh shut up. I know how silly this looks, but I guess I _do_ pull off everything,” Rose mused, looking at herself in the mirror. It was a custom Santa suit tailored by Apron Annie, which hugged her curves with red velvet. She’d also swapped her signature top hat for a red Santa hat, complete with a fluffy cotton ball at the end. Rose did a little twirl to admire her figure. She knew it was ridiculous to dress up like this, but she’d do anything for some big steam from foolish little rube children who actually believed that a kind old man would be giving them presents. 

“Why don’t you bring Rattlesnake girl? She can help you get into the houses, ward off anyone who gets in the way,” Crow suggested. 

“No need. _This_ Santa gets everything done herself,” Rose the Hat retorted. 

“Alright,” Crow Daddy said. He pecked a quick kiss on her cheek, “Can’t wait to tear that off you when you come back.” 

“ _Ha ha,”_ Rose deadpanned and then grinned mischievously. With a wink, she took Crow Daddy’s truck and drove off. 

// 

Rose got out of the truck, and inhaled the sharp icy air. Her mouth watered; she could practically see the steam bursting out of the house on the corner of the street. This one was big steam, and the truth was, she had sensed a connection to it for years but she let this one sit and ripen. Instead of climbing down the chimney, she slipped her hand under the coarse Welcome mat at the back door, and reached for the shiny key. _Rubes. Always this stupid and predictable_ , she thought. 

She slipped inside, glancing around the living room. A tall Christmas tree stood proudly in the centre, adorned with bright colourful lights and poorly made arts & craft ornaments made from macaroni. The house was small, but cozy and scattered with toys and books across the soft carpets.The steam was near, Rose could feel it. She pretended to search for presents inside her sack, and rummaged her hand through it while she hummed a familiar Christmas tune. Suddenly, she heard a soft gasp from behind the couch. Slowly, a little girl of no more than 8 years old crawled out from her hiding spot. She had her dark blonde hair in two braids and had one of her incisor teeth missing. 

“Santa! I knew you were real!” the girl gasped. 

Rose turned, and produced a wide grin. “Well hi there. _Emily._ ” 

“How do you know my name?” 

“I’m Santa. I know everything,” Rose replied with a soothing voice. 

“Are you here to bring me presents?” the child asked. 

Rose the Hat nodded, “Uh huh. Actually, I have an _extra special_ present for you. Only _extra good kids_ get one. Would you like to see?” 

Emily sprang over excitedly, as Rose opened up a large black box. She reached inside and produced a pink rabbit plush, and the girl’s face lit up. “Wow! You really are magic!” 

“ _Yes_ ,” Rose smiled, and placed a firm grip on her wrist. She inhaled, sensing the steam in front of her. This was going to be a Christmas feast for the True Knot, forget about turkeys and ham. As she pulled the child closer, she heard footsteps from the staircase. _Fuck_. 

A blonde woman of about 30 years old was storming down the stairs, in a pink silk nightgown and a white satin robe. “Emily, get away from her. Now,” she barked, “Go to your room.” 

Rose let go and the watched the child run back up the stairs. This was going to be interesting to deal with. “Hi there.” 

The woman pulled aside her nightgown and revealed a small butterfly knife strapped to her thigh. “What the fuck, get out of my house before I call the cops you psycho,” the woman warned, waving her knife in front of Rose.

Rose raised her eyebrows, taken aback and slightly aroused by this woman. _Who would go to bed with a knife every night?_ She focused on the woman’s clear blue eyes to clear her mind, and inhaled again. “Hang on. _You’re_ a little steamy too, aren’t you?” 

“What?” the woman with the knife frowned. 

All of a sudden, a wave of recognition flooded over Rose the Hat. “You know what I’m talking about. Of course, growing up spoiled it, but you passed it along to your little girl. Oh how she shines… you know how special she is too. _You_ were once like that,” Rose taunted. 

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she said through grit teeth, “I’m calling the cops.” 

Rose stepped closer, and grabbed the woman’s wrist, causing her to drop the knife. It landed 3 inches away from her bare toes. “Oh honey, don’t tell me you’ve forgotten me.” Rose pursed her lips and gave her a knowing look. 

In that moment, everything made sense to her. “Oh my god. Rose?” she gaped.

Rose took off her Santa hat, and nodded. “Vanessa. Long time no see,” she said. 

“I…” Vanessa immediately began running her fingers through Rose’s hair, which was entangled with little pieces of red cotton from the Santa hat. “Oh wow…Rose, I’m so sorry,” she whispered, as tears began welling up in her eyes. 

Rose the Hat wrapped the other woman into a tight embrace, as she sobbed into her Santa suit. “Shh..” 

“I hope you understand now, why I left. I know I’d promised you that we were going to be together forever but-,” she choked up again, and couldn’t finish her sentence. 

Rose the Hat caressed her thumb across Vanessa’s cheek gently. “I remember. I was going to turn you, and then all of a sudden you just vanished without warning. I have to admit, I was fucking _furious._ ” 

“I’m sorry… when I found out I was pregnant… I got so mad at myself. It was some random rube guy that I was with, and I ruined everything that we had. I didn’t know what to do, and then I was afraid… that she’d be like me. I was so afraid that she’d shine and I knew what we- you guys did to kids who shined. Leaving was the only option,” she sobbed.

“Damn right, you’ve raised some huge steam,” Rose chuckled. “Sweetie, I understand that. I’m not angry at you anymore.” 

“You’re not?” Vanessa sniffled. 

Rose shook her head, “No. I see you’ve made a great life for yourself.” She gestured to the living room; there were kiddish drawings of Emily and Vanessa on the walls, framed photographs of their smiling face, and a gingerbread house they had built together. The place bursted with love as much as it bursted with steam. 

The tears did not stop streaming down Vanessa’s face no matter how many times she wiped them away. “I know I have no right to be making any demands after I broke our vow but Rosie, can you promise me one thing?” she whispered. 

“Anything for you. You know I always had a soft spot for you,” Rose replied. Very few people in all her 700 years of living tugged at her heartstrings like this, but Vanessa was one of them. She’d always said she was Rose’s special angel, and the only person who was able to bring up any humanity in her. Rose never liked being vulnerable, but everyone had exceptions. 

“Please don’t hurt Emily. Can you promise me that?” 

“Of course,” she replied. Rose pressed her lips against Vanessa’s, her hands splayed against her back. Vanessa’s lips were warm and slightly salty from her tears, but Rose missed it nonetheless. However, she didn’t plan on returning again. It would complicate things too much, and she couldn’t disrupt whatever perfect life Vanessa had rebuilt for herself no matter how much Rose loved destruction. 

Suddenly, they hard a soft giggle from the top of the staircase. Vanessa whipped around and saw her daughter peering from the top step. 

“Emily, go back to your room!” she hollered. 

“Ok mommy!” Emily giggled. “Can you tuck me in?” 

Vanessa turned to Rose, who mouthed, “Go.” She nodded and mouthed back, “Goodbye.” She knew Rose wouldn’t come back, but at least she got to say the proper goodbye that she wanted to 8 years ago. 

Rose the Hat slipped back out of the house quietly, as she watched her former lover run up the stairs with the child. As she got back to Crow Daddy’s truck, she flung away a tear in annoyance and wondered what she was going to bring back for the True Knot now. She supposed she could bring out one of the canisters from under her rug and say it was from today, and no one would have to know. Rose drove away from the neighbourhood, rolling her teary eyes at the Christmas decorations on all the houses. Rose thought to herself, _Maybe the rubes were right, Christmas time did soften people up… how disgusting._

**Author's Note:**

> Is it too early for Christmas fics haha. Hope you liked it.


End file.
